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'Elections to 4,800 co-op societies by Sept end'

Bangalore, June 20, 2013, DHNS:

The Cooperative Election Commission, Karnataka, (CEC) has decided to conduct elections to 4,800 cooperative societies and 2,500 sahakara souharda banks by September this year, Cooperative Election Commissioner N C Muniyappa said on Thursday.

The CEC has started preparations for conducting the elections. An electoral list of the members of all 32,000 cooperative societies existing in the State is being prepared.

Once the voters’ list is prepared, district election officers will be appointed and the calender of events for the elections will be declared, he told reporters. It is for the first time elections to cooperative societies are being conducted by an autonomous body in the State.

The State government recently amended the Karnataka Cooperative Societies Act, setting up the CEC for conducting free and fair elections of the cooperative societies. There are 31 different kinds of cooperative societies in the State.

The commissioner further said the CEC is exploring the possibility of imposing model code of conduct during elections on the lines of Election Commission of India.“The CEC wants to adopt all best practices of the ECI and the State Election Commission. We are trying to re-work on them (best practices) and make them suitable for cooperative societies,” he added.

The respective societies will have to bear the election expenses. Once the election to the general body is done, the CEC will conduct elections to the board of directors of the society, he added.